Starbucks Holds Key to Jumpstarting Economy
Puppet - Up! - Uncensored
I'm a big fan of The Jim Henson Company's "Puppet Up! - Uncensored". The show mixes traditional comedic improvisation with a bunch of puppets operated by the world renowned puppeteers of The Jim Henson Company. This is not your average "Night at the Improv," and it is definitely not for children. It's very much like Drew Carey's "Who's Line is it, Anyway?" but with puppets. The show ran on the TBS channel last year and may be back sometime in 2008.
Most adults enjoy and appreciate the uninhibited anarchy of a live puppet performance based on audience input for plots, topics and locations. The puppeteers perform in front of a comedy club audience without scripts and in full view of the audience. One very funny skit is based on a group of hot dogs who are addicted to magic and are attending a support group meeting. (photo below)
Click here to get to the TBS "Puppet Up - Uncensored" page and then click on "watch video clips". Be careful ... it's addictive.
Starbucks Can Restart Our Economy
The number one reason to truly believe we're going into a recession: Starbucks is closing stores. Yep, the frappuccino giant is shutting roughly 100 locations and slowing its rate of expansion from 8 stores a day to a mere 5 a day. But I believe Starbucks holds the key to countering the housing market collapse. If Starbucks offered a $1 coffee alternative to its outrageously priced espressos, frappuccinos and other products that I don't know how to order, it could have an enormous effect on the economy.
Suppose Starbucks sells 10 million $1 cups of coffee a day as opposed to 10 million cups of its $4.65 caramel frappuccino venti with whipped cream? That would be like the Saudis making oil available for $29 a barrel! It would provide consumers with an extra $182 million each week! Annually, the extra $9.4 billion could buy a lot of HDTVs and other non-pretentious items that don't pass through the digestive system as quickly as a Starbucks beverage. (I just know that David Shapiro is going to check my math.)
Of course you loyal Starbucks' customers would still be able to enjoy the grossly overpriced standard Starbucks' products of your choice. You just wouldn't be helping the economy.
FMAO in Wisconsin
It's winter in Wisconsin
And the gentle breezes blow
Seventy miles an hour
At twenty-five below.
Oh, how I love Wisconsin
When the snow's up to your butt
You take a breath of winter
And your nose gets frozen shut.
Yes, the weather here is wonderful
So I guess I'll hang around
I could never leave Wisconsin
Cause I'm frozen to the ground!
